Bumper construction for picker stick checks



glwuvwtoo W1 11272017 w/ 3 JHII I nil Nov. '5, 1940. w. F. CLAYTON BUMPER CONSTRUCTION FOR PICKER STICK CHECKS Filed Feb. 9, 1940 Patented Nov. 5, 1940 PATENT OFFICE f BUMPERC'ONSTRUCTION FOR PICKER s'rrcK CHECKS- 3 William F. Clayton, Cullmam, Alan assignor of one-half to William Earl James, Cullman County, and one-fourth to Nephanus En James,

- Birmingham, Ala.

Application February 9, 1940, Serial' No. 318,186

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in checks for the picker 'sticksof looms.

The picker stick, as is well known, operates at the side of the shed, moving in one direction to drive the shuttle through the shed, and'being moved in the opposite direction by'the incoming shuttle under the impetus imparted by a'picker stick at the opposite side of the shed. The driving stroke of the picker stick is known as the hard lick.

The check is a stiflly flexible strap in the form of a loop within which the picker stick operates, and against the opposite sides of which the picker stick yieldingly collides, being brought to a stop without appreciable shock. The check, then, acts both as a brake and a stop forthe picker stick.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro j vide the check strap with an internal durable somewhat flexible bumper or reinforcement, en-

gaged by the picker stick toward the end of its hard lick for relievingthe check strap from wear and tear, the check strap and bumper being anchored at adjacent ends at offset points so as I to cause frictional translatory movement between them when distorted by the pressure of 'the picker stick, producing a braking effect which brings the picker stick progressively to a standstill.

Another object of the invention .is to provide the check with a fulcrum plate, the end of which is engageable with the bight of the check strap opposite the end reinforced by the bumper, when said bight is distorted by pressureof the picker stick against the bumper on its hard lick, forcontributing an additional resistance to the yield of said bumper.

Inasmuch as in some looms the return stroke of the picker stick is almost .as forcible as its hard lick, the invention also contemplates the provision of a durable flexible bumper. in both.

bights of the check strap, each contributing to the resistance of the other, upon eitherstroke of the picker stick.

snn another object of the invention is the provision of an adjustably extensible bumper, or

bumper and fulcrum plate, or pair of bumpers,. as the case may be, to suit the amplitude of movement of the picker stick or to obtain the desired braking action.

Other objects of the invention will appear as Referring now to the drawing which accom panics and forms a part ofthe following specification, and throughout the several figures of which the same reference characters have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a loom frame, illustrating an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure '3 is a section taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through a modified form of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral I represents the fixed frame of the loom to which is attached the conventional lug Z; "The lower end of the lug has an aperture through which a bolt 3 passes. The lapped ends of the check strap 4 lie against the outer face'of the lug'z, having registering holes through which the bolt 3 passes. A flanged plate 5 embraces the said lapped ends, the flanges 6 and 1 of said plate joint in alignment.

A washer which lies against the flanged plate 5, and a nut which threads upon the bolt 3 hold the lapped ends of the check strap 4 firmly together and against the lug 2.

The check strap is made of a heavy s'tiffiy flex ible duplex woven textile fabric, or other suitable material and forms a generally oval loop holding the upper and lower edges of the lapped surrounding the picker stick. The amplitude of said loop is sufficient to enable the picker stick to give the proper lick to the shuttle, and to permit the incoming shuttle to seat properly in its bOX;

The check strap is provided'adjacent one end with additional apertures 8 and 9 which may be selectively employed in connection with the bolt 3 for making the check strap larger or smaller.-

It will be understood that the action of the picker stick is to alternately strike the check strap at a. point within the opposite bights, yield- The present invention comprises a pair of v plates'llland H provided with longitudinal slots i2 and I3 which register more or less, andthrough which slots the bolt 3 passes, and by means of ing the other bight.

which bolt the plates I0 and II are clamped in position. The plate ID has a bumper 14 secured to one end thereof by means such as a clamp bar IS with a threaded stud l6 projecting therefrom and passing through an aperture in the plate H1, in conjunction with a nut I! for applying pressure to said clamp. The bumper I4 is made of a fairly stiff, although somewhat flexible material having great durability. Leather makes an ideal material for this purpose. The bumper I 4 extends around the bight of the check strap, intersecting the path of movement of the picker stick. One end of the bumper is free. It will be observed that while the portion of the check strap with which the bumper I4 contacts is anchored to the bolt 3, the bumper is anchored at an entirely independent point, namely, at the end of the plate In. Inasmuch as the bumper and the adjacent bight of the check strap are, therefore, not concentric, it is obvious that when the bumper and the adjacent bight of the check strap are distorted by the pressure of the picker stick they will slip in a translatory manner, creating frictional pressure between them which has a braking effect in slowing up the picker stick and finally bringing it to a standstill.

It is obvious, of course, that one bight of the check strap cannot be distorted without distort- Therefore, to take advantage of this distortion I have provided the plate I I which will hereinafter be called from its function, the fulcrum plate with a curved end I 8 engageable with the adjacent bight of the check strap when the latter is distorted by the blow of the picker stick against the bumper at the opposite side of the check strap when near the end of its hard lick. The end I8 is curved so as to be progressively contacted by the check strap and it is obvious that it in effect shortens the arc of the bight which it contacts, increasing the resistance of said bight to distortion, and transmitting this resistance through the check strap to the bumper l4 and the bight which it engages.

As has been stated in connection with the objects of the invention, the picker stick in some looms strikes the check strap almost as hard a blow on its return or suitable receiving stroke as it does on its hard lick. In such looms, the fulcrum plate with its curved end is substituted by a plate l9 carrying a bumper 20, said plate and bumper being, if desired, a substantial duplicate of the plate l0 and bumper l4, being similarly united. Such a structure is shown in that form of the invention illustrated in Figure 4, from which it will be understood that both bumpers have translatory frictional movement against the check strap in the respective bights thereof, and that each bumper contributes resistance to distortion to the other bumper when either of the bumpers is struck by the picker stick.

Figures 2 and 4 show that the bumper and fulcrum plate in Figure 2 and the pair of bumpers in Figure 4 are adjustable for length by means of the bolt and slot connections between them. The purpose of this length adjustment is twofold. In the first place, the distance between the bumper and the curved end of thefulcrum plate, or between the two bumpers, as the case may be, may be lengthened or shortened according to the size of the loop of the check strap. In the second place, this lengthening or shortening of the distance between the two bumpers, or the bumper and the end of the fulcrum plate, has the effect of changing the value of the braking resistance between the bumper or bumpers and the check strap.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that alterations may be made in the arrangement or shape of the specific details as herein illustrated and described, and that the specific embodiment of the invention as disclosed is by way of example and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a check for picker sticks, a check strap of fabric webbing or other suitable material formed as a loop, adapted to surround the picker stick, of such size as to have its opposite bights struck by said picker stick near the limits of movement of the latter in both directions, a lug to which said check strap is fixed intermediate said bights, a bumper strip having the characteristics, as to flexibility, similar to heavy leather, arranged within said loop in coincidence with one of the bights thereof throughout an arc which intersects the path of movement of the picker stick, and a plate to which one end of said bumper strip is anchored, said plate being secured to said lug, the other end of said bumper strip being free.

2. In a check for picker sticks, a check strap of fabric webbing or other suitable material formed as a loop, adapted to surround the picker stick, of such size as to have its opposite bights struck by said picker stick near the limits of movement of the latter in both directions, a lug to which said check strap is secured intermediate said bights, a bumper strip having the characteristics, as .to flexibility, similar to heavy leather, arranged within said loop in coincidence with one of the bights thereof throughout an arc which intersects the path of movement of the picker stick, a plate to which one end of said bumper strip is anchored the other end of said bumper .strip being free, said plate and check strap lying on opposite sides of said lug, and a bolt passing through said plate, lug and check strap securing said parts together.

3. In a. check for picker sticks, a check strap of fabric webbing or other suitable material formed as a loop, adapted to surround the picker stick, of such size as to have its opposite bights struck by said picker stick near the limits of movement of the latter in both directions, a lug to which said check strap is fixed intermediate said bights, a bumper strip having the characteristics as to flexibility similar to heavy leather, arranged within said loop in coincidence with one of the bights thereof [throughout an arc which intersects the path of movement of the picker stick, a plate to which one end of said bumper strip is secured, the other end of said bumper strip being free, said plate and check strap lying on opposite sides of said lug, said plate being formed with a longitudinal slot, a bolt passing through said slot, said lug and said check strap securing said parts together, said plate being adjustable throughout a range of movement provided by said slot.

4. In a check for picker sticks, a check strap of fabric webbing or other suitable material formed as a loop, adapted to surround the picker stick, of such size as to have its opposite bights struckby said pick-er stick near the limits of movement of the latter in both directions, a lug to which said check strap is fixed intermediate said bights, a bumper strip having the characteristics, as to flexibility, similar to heavy leather,

arranged within said loop in coincidence with one of the bights thereof throughout an are which intersects the path of movement of the picker stick, lapping plates having registering longitudinal slots, to which plates said bumper strips are secured at one end, the opposite ends of said bumper strips being free, said plates and check strap being on opposite sides of said lug, and a bolt passing through said slots, lug and check strap securing said parts together, said plates, and with them said bumper strips, being longitudinally adjustable throughout the range of movement provided by said slots.

5. In a check for :picker sticks, a check strap of fabric webbing or other suitable material formed as a loop, adapted to surround the picker stick, of such size as to have its opposite bights struck by said picker stick near the limits of movement of the latter in both directions, 2. lug to which said check strap is fixed intermediate said bights,- a bumper strip having the characteristics, as to flexibility similar to heavy leather, arranged within said loop in coincidence with one of the knights thereof throughout an arc which intersects the path of movement of the picker stick, lapping plates having registering longitudinal slots, said bumper strip being secured at one end to the outer end of one of said plates, the other end of said bumper strip being free, the outer end of the other plaite being curved in the direction of the bight to which it is adjacent, and in a position to be engaged by said adjacent bight when the latter is distorted, said plates and said check strap being on opposite sides of said lug, and a bolt passing through said slots, lug and check strap securing said parts together, said plates being longitudinally adjustable throughout a range of movement provided by said slots.

WILLIAM F. CLAYTON. 

